Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online. Sword Art Online is owned by Reki Kawahara and ASCII Media Works.

This chapter is beta-read by 666-HyuugaNeji-999.

Nadar's Ranch was a quest growing in popularity rather quickly since its discovery. Players from every floor were interested in taming the wild stallions for their own, opening the possibility to travel through the floors on horseback.

For the first nine floors, the basic concept of the quest was the same. Find the stallion, read its emotions by the little sounds it makes and react according to its needs. When tamed, bring it back to the capital city and acquire a permanent license to ride it.

Although the tenth-floor quest started the same, none of the Moonlit Black Cats dared to make a move in the presence of the stallion before them. A body at least one-half times bigger than their previous encounters. Muscles as visibly strong and intimidating as the white-gray skin reflected by the bright morning sun. An aura that could only be described as ominously mysterious.

''Is it too late to cancel this quest?'' Ducker asked, concerned.

''I don't know, but I'd rather take my chances with Ricardo then that horse,'' Tetsuo answered. ''What do you think, Sachi?'' He asked the expert without taking his eyes off the horse. Realizing she wasn't answering, he turned his eyes to her, only to discover she was no longer beside them. ''Sachi?''

Hearing a sudden familiar neigh, Tetsuo quickly returned his attention to their target, his eyes catching his party member slowly approaching the stallion with a trained carefulness. ''Is she serious? I know we trained a bit on the higher floors, but this thing is definitely stronger than those Wind Wolves.''

Keita kept quiet as his eyes found something curious in Sachi's expression. Sure, her body was trembling at the intimidating size and aura of the white beast in front of her, yet that fear wasn't reflected in her eyes. Why? Why are you so confident now? What has caused this change, Sachi? The leader wondered as he watched in anticipation.

Sachi barely knew the answer herself, but she knew one thing: she was the leading player in this quest. Other players counted on her knowledge to complete this quest and Argo had visited her frequently for guide information on taming the magnificent beasts of these quests. Remembering those small kids when she had returned from the sixth floor, calling her their senpai with sincerity made her confidence grow.

Perhaps she wasn't as good at games as her friends. Perhaps she wasn't as brave as the front-liners or the solo players who still fought alone. All of that didn't matter, for there was one thing she was better at: she could better understand animals.

With the same cautiousness, she approached the silver-haired stallion, her eyes continuing to search for new signs on how to continue. It noticed her presence and turned around as a response. However, unlike the previous encounter, the beast's ears did not point forward. In other words, Sachi was not a presence seen as a threat.

Realizing that, Sachi stood up from her spot, her light-blue eyes continuing to search for a second hint. That second hint came in the form of a mediocre snort. Coming from such a magnificent beast, Keita and buddies could only retreat further into their hiding spot but for Sachi, it was different. She wasn't too sure about the volume of the snort, but she could tell it wasn't an intimidating or threatening one. The question was, was she right about what it truly meant?

She slowly raised her right hand forward.

''What's she doing?'' Sasamaru asked, confused.

''I don't know. Get your ass out of the way already," Ducker responded as he pushed Sasamaru a little to get a better view.

Sachi did not even hear her guild members as she was solely focussed on the stallion, which was now slowly moving to her risen hand. However, unlike the other beasts, it wasn't tamed yet even if she could touch it. The female Moonlit Black Cat could conclude that from its eyes alone, which were staring at her with a burning question as it kept its body extremely calm.

So you are like that. I guess I have no choice, she thought as she walked beside the beast, moved her body facing parallel with the horse, and jumped on its back in one fell swoop. Immediately, the horse ran forward, disregarding everything that was in its way.

''Sachi?!''

However, despite the sudden rush, Sachi wasn't in a panic. She had foreseen it and she had already leaned forward as she held tightly on its mane. The silver-stallion moved straight towards a tree, but Sachi used her body to indicate a left movement, nothing but her memory and experience from the real world helping to assist her.

Another rock came into their path, but she bowed down with her back parallel to the horse's body, and her hands slowly pulling the neck hairs up. As expected, the horse jumped over the rock, but that was only the start of its trail.

~An half hour later.~

*Ngggh!* a silver-white stallion announced its return as it galloped on the spot, fully satisfied and obedient to its rider.

Sachi looked tired but held on the leash nevertheless as her friends slowly approached her. ''Is it safe?'' Ducker asked worriedly.

''Yes, he is tamed,'' Sachi answered with a smile. ''He has a bit of a temper though, so pay a little attention to your positioning,'' she added.

As her guild members came closer and complimented her skill to the heavens itself, Keita looked proudly at her. The scaredy-cat of the first floor had found something she was good at, and although there was a lack of bravery in other aspects of the game, he was glad to finally see a shift in Sachi's confidence.

''Keita, shall we claim our rewards now?'' she asked eagerly, resulting in a chuckle from her leader before he answered, ''Sure. Lead the way, Sachi.''

09:00, 26th-floor capital Bleson, 20-06-2023.

Bleson. The capital city of the 26th floor. A city balancing on the side of a large mountain, small streams of waters cutting the paths and roadways in multiple smaller passages. The morning sun was just high enough for its light to peek over the mountain tops as it slowly began to bathe everything in its warm embrace. Asuna normally did not pay attention to it, but together with the soft background piano music of a typical RPG, those details were just too breathtaking and calming to ignore.

Walking just to the outskirts of Bleson, still within the safe borders, she discovered she had not been the only one who had discovered those almost perfect conditions. Just in the green area of the city lay a few familiar players, some of them visiting the world behind their eyes while the others just enjoyed a moment of rest. ''Morning, Asuna-san. Care to join us?'' Klein asked as his back rested against a tree. Alice Rue had her eyes closed as she lay on his shoulder, while Kirito lay in the grass in front of him, Silica and Yuuki's heads resting on top of his chest, Suka lying behind Silica while Pina lay curled up on his master.

''Gladly,'' she responded as she sat down on the just-dry grass right beside her sleeping boyfriend. ''Rough night?'' she asked.

''You know how he is. Pushing forward while we are still trying to catch our breath. I fear we cannot keep up if he actually learns how to use that skill," Klein answered tiredly. ''Good news though. We found the field boss,'' he added with a tired smile.

''That quickly? No wonder he is asleep now," Asuna responded in kind, a soft gaze shifting towards the boy in black-and-white. ''Thank you for covering him, Klein-san. How are the others doing?'' she asked, this time her eyes shifting to Yuuki and some of the former Sleeping Knights who were sleeping against the trees.

''They are hanging in there. Kizmel's words have definitely lifted their spirits a little, but it will take time for these wounds to heal.'' With a restful smile on his face, he turned their positions around and asked, ''So, how was the training for the new recruits?''

''Mitchos-san is as relentless as ever. Even if it is for their own safety, I can't help but feel bad for them,'' Asuna admitted.

Klein smiled as he responded, ''Yeah, but if they want to learn how to survive and keep up with us, they need that kind of training. Remember, even Mitchos can't keep up with him if he gets serious." He grinned a bit sadly as he added, ''In actual skill, power, and agility, I think only you, Kizmel, and Heathcliff can keep up with him.''

''I am certain there are some players who disagree with you on that,'' Asuna said as she looked at a third group coming from the wildlands. Turning her eyes on the two other leaders of the alliance, she greeted them with a polite greeting. ''Good morning. Found anything good?''

''Just some good grinding spots. Aside from the occasional stream, this floor is pretty straightforward,'' Ren answered. ''We couldn't even test those new crystals.''

''Be glad. Those things were hellishly expensive,'' Riku responded as he sheathed his dagger and sat down with the others in the grass. ''Gotta say, this floor feels kinda nice though. It's a change of pace from the usual stressing.''

''We can't let our guard down. Those annoying Grizzlys still pack quite a punch,'' Helios warned as he sat down as well.

''Compared to those centaurs from the 25th floor, their damage output is considerably weaker. Yet, we still have to be careful,'' Heathcliff said as he sat down on the grass as well. Although nobody had said a word, the returning players all sat beside their allies. Perhaps it was the easygoing atmosphere the group radiated. Perhaps it was the peaceful sight of friends sleeping. Perhaps it was just the perfect environmental conditions. Whatever reason there may be, none of them denied the need to sit and relax.

Klein had materialized some fruit and tossed them around as a quick and easy breakfast until his leader woke up. Not that he wanted Kirito to wake up fast, for his virtual body welcomed the change of pace. Everything was in perfect harmony and tranquility. Or he wished to believe.

Yuuki's hand clenched tightly on Kirito's body as another nightmare tormented her sleep. Behind the trees in the far back, Packer was silently crying. Perhaps some of the players looked relaxed, but one wrong sound and they would stand ready in battle formation in no time. In SAO, that was a good thing. In real life, one could consider that trauma.

Suddenly, Suka woke up, stood up, walked to her sleeping father, and tried to wake him by softly wigging his body while whispering, ''Papa, I am hungry. Can you make me something to eat?''

Kirito slowly lifted his eyes as he woke up to the morning sun, a low wake-up grunt audible as he answered, ''Of course, Suka-chan. What would you like to eat?''

''Japanese breakfast!'' Suka answered grinning, her innocent smile instantly warming any who were watching the conversation.

Klein grinned as he added, ''Plus one. We have been at it all night without a decent meal.''

Alice Rue blushed heavily to those words as Klein realized too late what he said. A soft slap on the back of his head further acknowledged his mistake as Ojima mumbled, ''Context. Pay attention to it.'' Shifting his eyes to his leader, he said, ''Anyways, I'll join you guys. I'm starving.''

''Me too,'' Yuuki said, still half asleep as she was trying to rub the tiredness out of her eyes while Silica was slightly embarrassed about her sleeping position. None paid any attention to that though, for none wanted to further increase the embarrassment she already felt.

~An hour later.~

Still half asleep, Kirito walked on the streets of Bleson. Normally, he would have taken another quick nap or he would have started mapping out the remaining parts of the unknown. Now, however, he was on the important quest of collecting new ingredients for the training of his only support skill.

One way to keep the morale high—or at this current moment, not let it sink any lower—was good food. At least, that was Kirito's conclusion after the many times he had cooked for his companions. Momentarily he wondered if delicious food gave hidden buffs, but he quickly disregarded that thought. The only buff so far had been the Christmas cake and the blueberries cake on the 5th floor and he had definitely cooked better than those in past weeks. Why were they all cakes? Kirito's thoughts continued as he was walking into a newly-found fruit-&-vegetable store.

''How can I help you?'' the female storeworker asked as Kirito approached the showcase. As always, Kirito scrolled through the menu first before he would answer that question. It was easier, and it wasn't as if the NPC storeowner had any other plans. Argo was right. There is a lot of new stuff to buy here. And pretty cheap as well. I should buy some reserves just to experiment with, Kirito thought as he was about to order.

*Thud.* A sudden sound echoed through the room. Kirito turned around and saw a blind NPC man had accidentally dropped a wooden box with oranges on the ground. ''Oh, how clumsy of me. Could somebody help me pick these up?'' Out of nowhere, a quest mark appeared above the bewildered NPC. A quest? Just like that? How did Argo miss this one? he wondered before he walked to the man and answered, ''I'll help you, sir. Please wait just a second.''

A normal pause happened before the blind man responded, ''Thank you very much for your help. I would have done it myself if I could see where everything had dropped.''

Kirito had quickly collected the fruit and placed the box back on the cabinet as he responded, ''There you go, sir.'' As expected he received the rewards for the safe quest almost immediately, and although it was nothing compared to the tougher quests of the campaigns or collective quests from the bases, it was yet again another small help in his quest for Col.

''Thank you again for your help. It would have been a shame if these beautiful oranges had perished before they could share their good with the world. Whatever it is their nutrition or their seeds, their contribution to our society is significant,'' the blind man commented once again.

''I guess,'' Kirito responded, not sure how to continue past this point. He had already completed the quest, thus he wasn't expecting any more dialogue. He was about to say farewell when the NPC asked, ''Are you a swordsman by any chance?'' while a new quest mark appeared above his head.

''Yes, I am. Do you need help with something, sir?'' Kirito returned to question as his curiosity was triggered. A follow-up quest after the first one, which was normally something only seen during campaigns.

Another normal pause happened before the system progressed and acknowledged his words, and the NPC responded. ''As a matter of fact, I do. I was supposed to meet my companions at the southern gate to accompany me to Wpeaqua, but I haven't heard from them ever since. I fear they have already left, thus, I was in search of a swordsman who could help me. Could I count on your assistance, young swordsman?'' the man asked, the mark above his head changing.

''Of course. Leave it to me,'' Kirito answered. A moment later, an eighth healthbar appeared as Kirito learned the NPC's name was Kanu, and that he was only level five.

''Another quest I have missed. I am getting sloppy,'' Argo grumbled as she had joined Kirito and Klein's party in the Escort to Wpeaqua quest.

''Don't blame yourself, Argo. Perhaps Alyse or Stacy had missed it,'' Kunimitzz commented, only to receive a glare from the Rat herself.

''Are you implying I didn't properly educate them?'' she asked, annoyed, Kunimitzz immediately retracting his words in fear.

Turning to Issin, he whispered, ''What's up with her? Did I say something wrong?''

Issin raised an eyebrow as he answered, ''Do I look like I know the answer? Just take it for now.'' You are just as grumpy, Kunimitzz thought as he shifted his eyes forward again and let out a sigh. Everyone is so uptight. Of course, considering how the DKB let us handle the frontline alone, it is understandable, but still... he added internally as his eyes momentarily relaxed at the sight of a distant waterfall. At least the view is great. I am sure we would have enjoyed it much more if it hadn't been for the pressure.

''Yeah, things would have probably been better if it wasn't for that pressure,'' Kirito responded.

Kunimitzz looked shocked before he realized he had mumbled his inner thoughts once again. ''Goddammit, not again...''

''You must be really tired,'' his leader said as his eyes momentarily shifted between Searching and Tracking skill. ''But you are not wrong. Perhaps I have been pushing everyone's boundaries a bit the last days. I just want to make some progress, so we have something to celebrate. If we took a break now, the players waiting will believe we gave up on the liberation. Before we can rest, we need to show them we haven't given up yet.''

''Now that you mention it, I heard the field boss was found last night. What can we expect tomorrow?'' Asuna asked as one of the few of the fourteen present players who wasn't there during the little night expedition.

''I am not really sure. We never had an octopus boss before,'' Kirito answered nonchalantly. ''At least, most of us assumed it was an octopus.''

''Just because you saw some tentacles, you immediately assume it is an octopus. For all you know it is just the monster's hand or chin, and we will be fighting Cthulhu,'' Darius responded.

''I'll be skipping the next boss fight if that is the case,'' Issin commented. ''There is no way I am fighting a cosmic entity such as Cthulhu.''

''I agree. Say what you want, but I am no condition to take on such a monstrosity,'' Klein agreed. ''But I doubt we will encounter such a boss so early in the game. Especially after such a hard boss as Cruta.''

''Well, I guess that is true,'' Kirito responded as he kept his eyes on his surroundings, only to react to a sudden pop-up to the far front.

''Still, we can't let our guard down even if it is not...How was it called again?'' Asuna asked as she unsheathed her rapier as a reaction to her leader's shift of attention.

''Cthulhu. I'll tell you more about it when we have defeated that cyclops,'' Kirito answered as he pointed to the front, where a single eye was peeking from the bushes just at the side of the path.

Three minutes later, the eye-oned humanoid shattered into oblivion as Asuna sheathed her rapier. ''You were saying?'' she asked, urging him to continue the conversation where they left off.

''Cthulhu is a godlike creature from the writer Lovecraft. It is an enormous figure with an octopus-like head. It has a humanoid body structure, but its skin and claws resemble that of a dragon. There are some cults that seem to worship it," Kirito explained.

''I get how that could be troublesome,'' Asuna commented before she asked, ''Wait, shouldn't the boss name appear as soon as you see it? Shouldn't that confirm what it was?''

''Normally it would, but the name wouldn't appear no matter how close we approached. Since we were a little shorthanded, we decided not to move in too close though and to wait for a better time to find it out,'' Kunimitzz answered. ''Perhaps we can do it tomorrow morning after a good night's sleep. It seems we all could use some rest.''

Argo mumbled something under her breath, but only Kirito could hear it and decided wisely not to react to it. Instead, he decided to open his guild menu, opened a message window, and sent a guild message to every player of his alliance. {Tomorrow, we will tackle the field boss. Prepare for it and take some proper rest.} before he sent another one to his co-leaders.

The rest of the trip went by without any hassle. Kanu was safely escorted to Wpeaqua, where the two parties were awarded a decent amount of Col. But although the quest went without any effort and they could take a break, the atmosphere on the way back was anything but celebratory.

No matter how you looked at it, the players who were walking on their way back to the capital were under constant pressure. Whether it was from direct pressure from the monsters or bosses who could kill them, or the indirect pressure from the players who waited for their victory, there was no moment of relaxation. Even in their home, there was no real calmness. The funerals provided a perfect place to focus their sorrow on, but it did not help in easing their minds. The only real moment of relaxation had been the festival and that event had been at least two months ago. This state of restlessness would later be known as frontline-fatigue.

Their mood hadn't been changed when they arrived at their house in Giltstein, but as soon as the door opened, that was quickly about to change.

The beautiful sound of a flute echoed through the room, its source sitting at the table while an audience was sitting in front of her. ''Should I ask myself in the water. What a warrior would do? Tell me, underneath my armor. Am I loyal, brave, and true? Am I loyal, brave, and true?''

A male voice followed suit with the tone of a calming river. ''Losing is easy. Winning takes bravery. I am a tiger's fool. Out in the open. No one to save me. The kindest of whispers are cruel,'' Ojima followed up before Yuna placed her flute back to her lips and continued the refrain.

There was a moment of absolute silence except for the sound of a flute soothing everyday worry with its beautiful sound. Yuna took the flute from her lips, looked forward, and with an almost angelic voice, she started with a high note, ''Cold is the morning (Cold is the morning). Warm is the dream. (Warm is the dream)'' Ojima followed just behind on the low note, making perfect synchrony between the high and low. ''Chasing the answer. (Chasing the Answer.) 'Til I can't sleep (Til I can't.)''

Ojima stopped his last words for a quick breath and sang in harmony, ''Will I be stronger. Or will I be weak. When you're not with me?'' There was a small pause before Yuna placed her flute back to her lips and softly repeated the refrain once again.

The sound died down after a few seconds, but the effect remained as everyone stayed silent for a solid minute. Even when they realized they would no longer interrupt the music, they remained silent. Yuna looked nervous as she asked, ''So, how was it?''

''That was so beautiful. You are absolutely amazing! Yuna-san!'' a younger boy by the name of Shadow complimented.

''You were great as well, Sensei!'' the short-dark blonde Kature complimented Ojima with shining eyes.

Yuna chuckled at Ojima's discomfort before she responded, ''I am glad to hear that. We were kinda nervous when Lisa-san taught us the song, but I am glad it went down well. Lisa-san, they liked your song!'' she shouted.

Quickly descending footsteps on wood could be heard before the door of the dining room slammed open. ''Really? Thank god! I was so nervous I'd remembered it wrong.''

''That was from Mulan, right?'' Wolfgang asked as he sat down on one of the chairs.

''Yes! From the cinematic one to be precise," Lisa pointed out. ''There were a lot of instruments in Christina Aguilera's version, but Jason Chen's version was a lot less instrumental. Plenty of inspiration to learn from, but it is always a gamble how it pays off when you combine them.''

''You have more of those songs?'' Agil asked curiously. ''Since we are taking a break for tonight anyway, might as well make it a fun evening with music, games, and plenty of food.''

''Great idea! Let's get started immediately. We still have much to do.'' Asuna said as she pulled Kirito with her to the kitchen. However, just before they entered the kitchen, she sent a quick glance at Argo. Argo caught on as she walked to the door and opened it. However, before she could ask anything, Asuna pushed Kirito towards her and said, ''I don't know what your problem is, but if he can't fix it, nothing can. I am going to start on the preparations.'' before she walked away.

Kirito wasn't certain what to do in that situation, but Argo knew. Better said, it was precisely what she needed. Without a second to waste, she hugged her boyfriend tightly as she snuggled to his chest. ''I get why pushing forward on the frontline is so important, but we almost lost you four days ago.'' She spoke lowly. ''I almost lost you, yet I haven't had to chance to hold you tightly since then," she added as her hold tightened even more.

Her hug was answered almost immediately. ''I am sorry, Argo. I couldn't sit still with all the rumors spreading around since the last boss fight. There is a lot riding on us liberating these floors," he responded softly as he returned her hug.

''Don't you think I know that?" Argo whispered as she annoyingly pinched her boyfriend's back. ''But they don't care about you as we do. As I do...'' she added under her breath. ''I don't care about what all the players on the starting floor think. Most of them are just damn cowards who can't fight for themselves. We shouldn't be pressured like this by cowards like them.''

''Perhaps there are people like that, but there are kind people who are counting on us as well. I can't just abandon them," Kirito responded. ''Please bear it a bit longer. When we have passed the 27th floor, we can take a breather again.''

Argo pouted but conceded just as quickly as she whispered, ''Fine, but you owe me big time after that. Prepare to spoil me until I beg you to stop. Now, get cooking. I am starving!'' She commanded with her familiar cheeky grin before she opened the door again and walked back to the starting party.

Floor 28. That was the floor chosen as the point the alliance would take a temporary retreat from the frontline and would take a breather from the constant pressure of being Aincrad's liberator. Two floors higher than their current, with two more field bosses and floor bosses to challenge for the right to survive, and to pass.

The first obstacle of that dangerous path was already proving to be a difficult boss as it turned out the octopus-boss Vengeful Spirit of the Water was more than just a regular giant octopus. In fact, you could call him one with the water, as both his attacks and his resistance to damage were like a bucket of cold water in the raiding players' faces.

Despite those nasty resistances and the cold water dripping from their soaked clothing, they defeated the Vengeful Spirit in a timespan of thirty-five minutes. Luckily, the weather was nice, and their clothing quickly dried in the warm light of the afternoon sun, even despite the waterfall entrance of the dungeon making them wet yet again.

After Kirito's black and white coat was returned—from covering wet transparent clothing effects of course—Asuna could finally enjoy a bit of that sun from the open cracks of the dungeon. With the power of a raiding group consisting of around ten full parties, she also had time for that privilege as the soothing sound of small streams of water and mysterious background music soothed her stress levels.

''Traps upfront. Seem to be water-related,'' Darius warned as he ran to the trap, crouched down on the soggy ground and started disarming them. ''Compared to the 25th floor though, these traps are child's play.''

''Compared to the 25th floor, everything we have done so far has been child's play,'' Mitchos complained as he strolled with his mace resting on his shoulder, his eyes focusing on the small details of the dungeon's walls. ''It kinda makes me worry about what comes on the 50th floor.''

''A worry for a distant future. For now, let us focus on the tasks at hand," Kizmel responded as her eyes scanned the area around her, the color of her pupils switching between a dark blue and her natural purple, indicating she had finally mastered the Searching skill. The information in her data was still limited to an NPC, but it opened her world both literally and figuratively to many new possibilities.

However, her new skill wasn't as advanced as Kirito's as he warned, ''Monsters up ahead. Three Water Bears," before he turned his eyes on Asuna and Klein. The two vice-leaders nodded without a single word before charging forward, two full parties following right behind their party leaders while they almost ignored the wetness of the ground or the falling droplets from the floor above.

''Are you still not confident about your dual-wielding capabilities, my friend?'' Kizmel asked as she watched the three bears succumbing to Klein and Asuna's parties' teamwork. ''It is not on point with your one-handed sword skills, but every skill requires training to become functional in battle. Wouldn't this be the perfect moment to practice it?''

''No, I am afraid not. I am not in full control of my movements yet, and it can mess up the solid teamwork we have now," Kirito tried to reason, more to himself than to Kizmel as his eyes continued to check the two parties.

Kizmel seemed to notice that wasn't the true reason he did not use both swords but decided not to pursue it as she responded, ''Very well. I'll take that excuse for now. I hope you have a better one prepared for the next time I am going to ask you.''

Kirito decided to ignore those words as he set his eyes on his map while Asuna and Klein's parties joined up with him again. A little bit later, they found the third-floor stairs.

''This is going better than expected. Why do I have the feeling we are forgetting something?'' Ren spoke his worries.

''We have done the quests. We have checked every corner of the dungeon floors. We have extra healing items in reserve, including some of those emergency crystals. Although I understand your concern, we can't be more prepared than this," Mortimer answered. ''Perhaps we are so cautious because we are used to the 25th floor?''

''Perhaps. Anyway, staying here wouldn't help us answer that uncertainty. Let's get moving," Heathcliff commanded as he started to climb to the fourth floor.

''Right. The sooner we clear this floor, the sooner we can have some time off again," Kunimitzz responded as he followed the others.

The fourth floor wasn't anything special either, as the mobs were quickly dispatched and the traps were quickly disarmed. With ten parties, the fourth floor was relatively quickly mapped. Thus, one half hour later, the group of seventy moved to the next floor.

Thirty minutes for one floor was a general relief for most front-liners, for many floors took at least two or three hours to map completely. A normal player would celebrate and start to act careless, bragging about that record time while tempting fate's luck. But in the alert atmosphere of the alliance, such a thing was highly unlikely.

Instead, the quickness of their mapping caused them to be extra cautious. It was, therefore, no surprise the conversations died down almost instantly when Kirito's second sword appeared on his back, and he pulled it out of his sheath. ''Large room up ahead. Keep your eyes open," he warned.

''Tanks to the side and rear. Prepare for multiple encounters," Heathcliff commanded.

''We need to keep an eye out for traps as well. Darius?'' Ren asked.

''I got most of it covered. I could use some extra eyes on the other side though," he answered.

''Leave that to me," Rain responded as her red eyes turned greenish.

The group was ready when Kirito stepped into the room, their eyes analyzing every corner for possible danger. Multiple skills colored the pupils of the group in a foreign green and blue, while eavesdropping skills focused on any foreign sounds.

The room was enormous, only a bit smaller than Ilfang's boss room. Green moss grew in various corners as small trickles of water slid from the walls and continued down the stairs or between the small openings of the floor. It was silent, as not even a single sound could be heard except the small streams and the calm background.

''Trap up ahead. Other than that door, this room is safe,'' Rain warned after a few seconds, shifting her eyes momentarily to Darius for confirmation.

''Confirmed. Don't open that door yet," he added as he carefully walked to the door.

''Searching skill isn't picking up anything," Issin said confused before he asked, ''Could this be a checkpoint?''

''A trap in a checkpoint? I doubt this is a checkpoint then," Heathcliff answered as he laid his eyes on the door. ''If anything, I assume this is a trap for a group who thought they would have it easy. Darius-kun, can you disarm the door?''

Darius was already trying to disarm the trap, but as the seconds passed by, he realized not even his Trap-Disarming was high enough to find a weak point in the trap. ''I am afraid not. Strangely enough, I can't even see any details on this trap,'' he answered regretfully.

''Meaning we have to face it eventually," Mortimer commented as he checked the remaining room and suggested, ''Since this is a waterfall-based floor, it wouldn't be that strange to have this room flooded as a trap. A simple countermeasure would be to have people outside of the room who push it open in case it closes just as one the fourth floor and 22nd floor.''

''Using the same tactic three times while the solution was found at the first one? I doubt Kayaba would think that would be a wise decision," Isabella responded as she checked the room's size and added, ''I think we can assume this will be a monster ambush. We'll have two parties at the entrance in case we need them, while the rest focuses on the mobs.''

A few seconds later Ren's voice echoed through the room again as he asked, ''Is there any other possible trap we should be wary of? Perhaps a large trapdoor or a boulder? or a...'' he tried to ask before he was interrupted by a slap on the shoulder.

''We can speculate on whatever trap it is, but in the end, we have to go through it eventually. So let's not waste another moment and get on with this!'' Helios suggested, grinning.

''You know I don't like to agree with him, but he's got a point,'' Riku commented, his eyes staring confidently at his leader. ''We are all in full health and prepared to the bone. Our equipment has minimal durability loss and we are still over-leveled for this floor. I say we got this.''

As more players vouched they were ready to tackle the dangers that lay behind that door, Ren shared a worried look with his alliance co-leaders. One long look before they turned their heads simultaneously to the front, their eyes decisive despite not knowing what was waiting for them. ''Klein, Mortimer, stay at the doors. Everyone else, prepare for combat.''

Fifty-three players followed their leaders to the end of the room, where a large stone door stood between them and their progress. One deep breath before Heathcliff pulled the door open.

A moment of silence, nothing audible but the dripping of water. Not a single noise was made by the players as they waited for what was about to come. Then the sound of a distant stone door shutting down could be heard before the sound repeated, each repetition louder than before. Realizing just in time what those echoes were, Kirito and Heathcliff shouted simultaneously, ''Klein, Mortimer, get inside!''

Klein and Mortimer's parties stepped into the room, not sure what their leaders thought was going on until the door of their current room closed behind them. Mitchos tried to push the door open, only for it to remain fully closed. ''It is not budging at all.''

Even when more tanks tried to open the door—from gently pushing it to straight-up tackling the door head-on, resulting in collisions that were kind of theatrical—the door did not budge.

''Are we trapped in here?'' Silica asked, confused and worried.

''It seems to be that way," Asuna answered anxiously.

''That could be troublesome. We need to find a checkpoint before the sun goes down." Heathcliff said worriedly before he shifted to the front and commanded, ''Everyone, we are pushing forward immediately! Our current objective is to find a safe haven while mapping the floors. Let's go!''

Sixty-nine players followed Heathcliff through the large stone door with relatively high spirit. After all, their equipment was still strong enough and despite the minor setback, it wasn't a life-threatening situation.

There was, however, one thing they had not considered. How long would that high spirit and the durability hold out without a way back to the town? Would they be able to liberate the dungeon quick enough, or succumb to worse tortures than just the fights? They were questions without answers until either fate or time would answer them.

Author Notes:

This was it for chapter 55.

This was a tough chapter to write. I have global plans for what to write in this story, but it is difficult to fill in the small bits. That is where inspiration comes into play, something that I am currently lacking with the lockdown and school getting on my nerves. It goes pretty well however, so I got that going, which is terrific.

My apologies for the short hiatus, but I will post regularly again when my writing allows it. Until then, enjoy this chapter and stay safe! Beyor out.